Building a SUPER SQUIER! - Taking Aim At Fender's Best!

Follow along as I put together a Super Squier purpose-build for taking down a Fender Select Stratocaster!
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[samratbose]

hey Darrell, I've been watching all your videos but never thank you properly. Now I'm saying it, I've never seen anyone like you with guitar so sincere and detailed. thank you for all your efforts.

Edit: Thanks for all the likes

[benfrancoeur]

My school give a courses of lutherie (guitar build) with a ebay Kit and it's totally free. Should I do it?

[evancontreras]

Whenever he says good morning afternoon evening etc...it really really feels like he wants you to have a great day☺

[legozach]

I'm glad I held on to my starter Squier, it's super resonant and surprisingly nice feeling. The weakest points are the bridge, tuners, and pots--all things that can be upgraded. And, of course, the pickups could be as well

[DarrellBraunGuitar]

Hope you guys are having a great week!
if you guys have modified your Strats let me know what you did and how it turned out!

[MindsetMastery]

Wow You turned that Squier into a real beauty. The blackout pickguard goes really well with the darker rim on the body of your guitar. It matches up perfectly with the finish. And sounds great to boot. Wonderful job you did there Darrell!

[abelramirez]

Makes me want to make a Frankensquier! Well done!

[MrStickthrower]

I started with a 2001 Indonesian made Squier Affinity Strat (the one with the narrow nut), black with a white pickguard. Tore it down to just the neck, nut, and body. Did a fret level and dress. Routed the trem cavity flush and filled it with a block of wood and minwax wood epoxy filler. Scuff sanded, primed and repainted the body with shellac and then black lacquer. Drilled for string through and installed a black Hipshot hard-tail bridge and black Fender tuners just like yours...😊

Replaced the pickguard with a Squier Classic vibe black three layer, put in Carvin tbh-60 pickups with a Bourne push pull volume pot that switches them all to either single or humbucker. Set up the five way to run single coil to a 250K all pu tone pot (YJM) and a custom cap/resistor treble bleed, and the humbucker setting to a 500k tone pot with its own treble bleed. Hand-built a mini lpb-1 and installed that in the copper lined trem cavity and put a true bypass pedal button in the pickguard to turn it on and off. I also swapped out the jack for a Pure Tone...I call it the "Bad Idea Fairy" because it incorporates every bad idea I ever had...😉 You can't wring every tone out of it, but it comes close enough for live.

[ChrisG]

I had to drill out my Squier pick guard (3/8" iirc) to get the knob portion of the Obsidian blender through the guard. Just a heads up for those considering the Obsidian upgrade...you'll also need the larger Fender brand tone and volume knobs (the Squier knobs are too small and won't fit). Hip Shot locking tuners will fit on a Squier with no modification or drilling and they work great. Fender locking tuners require drilling out the holes on the head stock for Squiers.

The Obsidian is an awesome upgrade and well worth the $85...blends all 3 pickups at settings 2 and 4. Produces a really full sounding well rounded tone.

If you're gonna upgrade the electronics, spend the extra $20 and get new graph tech string tees and a graph tech tusq nut...will improve tuning stability big time. The nut pops off...just stick an Exacto knife under it and it'll pop right out.

[sampsonsimpson]

I'm glad I bought a Squier for my first guitar. Knowing I can upgrade it down the road if I want makes me feel better about buying a cheap guitar. Thanks for the info and detail you put into your videos it is really helpful.

[Dan-udtf]

This video has helped me a lot! I just recently got the same Squier Strat for my 16th birthday. I've been playing on a really really poor off brand guitar for the past 4 years and my new Squier strat has been such an upgrade. But this video has shown me that even though it's an upgrade, it's not the best out there. There's a lot of things I could spend my money on upgrading about my Squier and after a few years and upgrades, I could have a real nice guitar on my hands :)

[kschumac]

Thanks for the good ideas! My first guitar, 15 years ago, was the Squier. I've since "outgrown" it but now, instead of just having it sit collecting dust I've been inspired to turn it into a project guitar.

[wriglarzzz]

Hey Darrell That was actually my first guitar. I've kept it alive it and I fully modded because of your videos. I'd like to show you some pictures of three projects I worked on/ working on.

[ronjames]

I have a 1995 MiM lefty strat, havnt got the courage up to change anything on it, still all original, sofar, you make it look so easy, ty for the video

[sarloscantana]

I was gonna mod my Squier, and even had Guitar Center talk me into the locking tuners you have, without realizing they don't fit. I chickened out at the drilling part for the tuners though. I ended up having a shop set up my Squier and it sounds great. That said, what you did here with the electronics gives me a whole new view on modding my Squier! i had no idea they made pre-wired stuff that was so easy to install. I'm not a solder guy so seeing that was awesome. Great video!

[ztobinz]

This video is perfect! I have the same Squier and was planning to change out the pickguard and knobs etc... to black versions. Thanks!

[Farshad-Parvin]

Darrel I just finished the project assassin of my own and I'm loving the tone. My mim sounds like a legit American. Thanks a lot man.. I learn so much from your videos.

[sterlingmcvay]

Agree, What you do is Unique and Very Appreciated, it's much the kinds of things I'd 'like' to do, when I can.

[CLIFFROCK]

I upgraded a Squire Strat with a loaded pickguard from an American Strat, locking tuners, solid brass tone block in the tremolo. It plays and sounds amazing. It sounds almost as good as my American Strat and it sounds better than my VG Strat. I also repaired a Squire Strat that my buddy found in the garbage. All I did was upgrade the pickups to Seymour Duncan, clean it and set it up and more often than not he chooses it over his American Strat that he paid big money for.

[Ronaldo]

The result is awesome! Really great souding...
Cheers from Brazil, hope you having a nice week too!